The present invention relates to a transmission and governor for a portable, residential, or small business generator system.
Typical generator systems employ direct drive transmissions to couple an engine to an alternator. Direct drive systems typically fix the engine speed at 3,000 rpm (50 Hz) or 3,600 rpm (60 Hz), depending upon the required output current frequency. Due to the nature of direct drive transmission, such systems are inefficient and excessively noisy during low load operation. Some generator systems employ an inverter to allow the engine to operate at speeds that are proportionate to the power demand. A generator is rotated at a variable speed and its output is converted into direct current. Then, the inverter creates a sinusoidal output from the direct current at the desired output voltage and frequency (e.g., 120 VAC, 60 Hz). However, inverters are complex and expensive.